Grand Theft Auto IV is no longer for sale on Steam, as the game relies heavily on the Games for Windows Live platform. Rockstar says that Microsoft no longer supports this service and that it is no longer possible to release keys for GTA IV.
Developer Rockstar has made a statement about this to several websites, including Gamespot. According to the developer, the game was originally created for the Games For Windows Live platform. According to Rockstar, it is no longer possible to release keys for the current version of the game due to the lack of support for this. Recently it appeared that it is no longer possible to buy a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV via Steam. There has been speculation that this may have had to do with licensing the music in the game or the deployment of the Rockstar launcher.
Whether a new version of the game will be released in which the dependency on the said platform will be removed is unknown. That seems like an obvious step, as several developers have also released patches for their games in the past to remove Games For Windows Live. That happened in 2013, for example, with Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City and BioShock 2. Rockstar says it is looking at other options for distributing GTA IV for PC and will provide more information as soon as possible. to give.
Games For Windows Live was a service that Microsoft started in 2007. It was an online gaming service that allowed users to connect their PCs to Microsoft Live, Microsoft’s attempt to port the Xbox Live service to all kinds of platforms. PC games compatible with Games For Windows Live gave gamers the ability to play online, track their friends’ status, and interact with them. In some games, such as Shadowrun, there was also the option of crossplay between Windows and Xbox 360 users. Games for Windows Live offered developers various options such as support for multiplayer, DRM and achievements. Starting in 2013, Microsoft began to gradually phase out the service, with the dedicated store closing in the summer of that year.